In the field of semiconductor chip packaging, an increased desire can be observed to package a semiconductor chip in a way that meets the individual needs of consumers. Industrial consumers have a desire to efficiently package semiconductor chips such that the resulting devices have a reduced size while maintaining the same robust performance.
In a semiconductor chip package, the semiconductor chip, or die, is embedded or housed within the chip package and the contact pads of the semiconductor chip are connected to external contact elements of the chip package. It is desirable to produce semiconductor chip packages so that their external contact elements allow a higher degree of flexibility with regard to the attachment of the semiconductor chip package to a board. It is also desirable to increase the modular applicability of the semiconductor chip package and, in particular, the possibility to connect further devices to the semiconductor chip package.
The semiconductor chip packaging process involves a number of different steps. For example, once a semiconductor chip is disposed on a lead frame or carrier, the semiconductor chip is wire bonded, encapsulated, and sawed such that a semiconductor chip package is produced. These steps occur sequentially and have output and quality limitations particular to each step. For instance, the wire bonding process occurs wire by wire and clip by clip. Thus, only a certain number of units may be produced over a period of time and consequently, only a certain level of cost savings may be realized using currently available packaging methods.
Further, the addition of other components within the semiconductor chip package increases the duration and complexity of the packaging process. For example, with the use of power semiconductor devices, it may be desirable to connect the semiconductor chip to a thermally conductive device such as a heat sink. The use of a heat sink results in additional complexity of the packaging process. As a result, the semiconductor chip device may not be packaged as efficiently as desired. Consequently, there is a general need for cost-efficient solutions in packaging semiconductor chips such that more units are produced in a shorter period of time.